for directions to the RAF station at Davidstow Moor. He wanted to see it,
as he had never been able to find it when in the Luftwaffe in World War two.
Sited as it was on high ground in North Cornwall, it was apparently always
shrouded in mist.
No problems with mist and fog on the weekend of Steve and Sheila Perry`s
open weekend at their fledgling museum on the site of the wartime airfield.
Only wind and rain. It was July in Cornwall after all. I say fledgling museum
because while much work has been done, Steve and Sheila admit that there
is a lot more to do yet.
Enthusiasts from both Cornwall and Devon were invited for the weekend to
see how things were progressing, to enjoy a get together, and to enjoy a
road run on the Saturday.. When I arrived on the Saturday morning upward
of twenty vehicles were parked around the site. Various Land Rovers and Jeeps
were present, and heavier vehicles included Nick Vandy`s Leyland Hippo.
Two buildings were in the process of restoration, the officers mess, and
the Squash court, as well as an air raid shelter. Squash court, you ask.
Quite common, it seems, even all those years ago. After we all had a good
look around it was time to mount up for the road run. At much the same time
it began to rain. Heavier. Under Steve`s command we set off first for a tour
of the airfield.
Davidstow Moor airfield opened in 1942, and the site is approximately 300
metres above sea level. It was used for the rest of WW2, and Beaufighters
and Wellingtons, among others, were used there The US air force also used
it as a refuelling stop for their B24s.
In 1952 a motor racing circuit was opened, but the local weather effected
both the racing and the crowds, and racing ceased in 1955. The track hosted
a Formula One race, and I can recall seeing hordes of Austin 7s careering
around apart from anything else. I remember they all had their starting handles
hitched up horizontally with a piece of inner tube. Was this a first step
at tuning, I wonder? I recall that removing the hub caps from my first Mini
produced a dramatic increase in performance.
After driving around, and after being told some of the history by Steve Perry,
we moved on. Steve`s enthusiasm was evident, in spite of the weather.
We then set off towards Rough Tor, pronounced Router, as opposed to the
way it is written, by the way. The inclement weather had relented, and we
arrived at the public car park for lunch, much to the surprise of tourists
already there. To have your pleasant Summer lunch on the moor interrupted
by twenty military vehicles of varying size must have been a bit unexpected.
If these people were surprised, so were the people in the lengthy traffic
queue entering Camelford, as the DR, riding ahead, stopped the flow of traffic
in order to let the convoy out onto the main road. (They were actually stationary
anyway). We then surprised even more of the local population, as we trundled
through the town itself, and then through the village of St Teath, local
pronunciation, St Teth.
Just after the village, we called at our next stop, a former Italian POW
camp. Like our host at RAF Davidstow, the owner of this site, Gerry King,
was equally enthusiastic. From what we saw, the POWs had better accommodation
than many of the locals at the time. It is said that the prisoners were in
no hurry to leave at the cessation of hostilities.
Upon the command, drivers to me, we were briefed on the next leg of our run,
to the once Royal Naval air station at Treligga, on the coast a few miles
away. While this was not exactly an airfield, it had a levelled runway of
sorts. It is said that an American bomber emergency landed here during the
war to undergo repairs. Stripped of basically everything, it took with just
the pilot on board. There were mutterings that there was one of these events
at RAF St Merryn?.and RAF Trevellas, down the coast. It`s a good story,
anyway.
RNAS Treligga was an observation base for training flights, and was apparently
staffed by members of the WRNS, although some. people disagreed with this.
Certainly the Wrens had it comfortable, with, wait for it, central heating
in their rooms. Evidence of this, and the various baths and toilets were
still in the buildings, if not actually in working condition. We visited
the three storey observation building, now derelict, where staff at the base
actually observed.
Our host here, Colin Davey plans to use the site as a wildlife sanctuary,
complete with the aforesaid observation post. His enthusiasm in the history
of the whole place was clear to see.
This was our last port of call, and bearing in mind the time, and the weather,
a small group of vehicles set off for West Cornwall, while the majority headed
back to the RAF station at Davidstow. Some hardy souls were actually camping
overnight, as the Perry`s were opening on the Sunday for the general public
to have a look around, and hopefully pass on the odd bit of information to
them about wartime memories of the station. The Sunday opening was a huge
and unexpected success and a degree of panic crept in as Steve and Sheila
struggled with the hundreds of enthusiastic people who turned up. Also on
the Sunday, David Smaile, who owns the Dinscott Military Collection, near
Bude, turned up with a CVRT Sabre, and a Ferret, which was a bonus. A pity
he didn`t arrive with one of his Chieftains!
In spite of the weather, the Saturday was a grand day out, to quote Wallis
and Gromit, and our thanks must go to Steve and Sheila for their efforts.
We wish them the best of luck with their enterprise.
Lawson Kent
Cornwall MVT
